Ilocos Norte joins 4th National Clean Up Day

Various youth organizations in Ilocos Norte joined the nation in the 4th National Clean Up Day on September 29. The volunteers were able to collect 23 full sacks of non-biodegradable trashes or approximately 1,293.75 lbs. The volunteers, who came from MMSU College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology, DepEd, SK Currimao, PEERS TY Movement, BFAR, and private individuals. The coastal clean-up activity was held in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. (contributed photo)

By Ma. Joreina Therese A. Blanco

LAOAG CITY, Oct. 2 (PIA) — With the common goal to save the earth one cleanup drive at a time, various youth organizations in Ilocos Norte joined the nation in the 4th National Clean Up Day on September 29.

In Currimao town, a total of 66 volunteers managed to collect 23 sacks of non-biodegradable trashes, weighing 587 kilograms from the Currimao seawall.

The fourth installment of the cleanup activity aimed to mobilize and enjoined five million Filipinos across the country to protect and care for the environment in one day.

Originally, the cleanup was set last September 15 but due to Typhoon Ompong, the province joined a week late.

“Other provinces like La Union and Pangasinan also rescheduled their cleanups because of the typhoon,” said Patrizia Dacanay, founder of MAPP and one of the active eco-warriors in Ilocos Norte.

“If we continue being ignorant of what’s happening to our environment, it will become very polluted and unsafe for us to live in. We, in MAPP, believe that a healthy environment is essential for healthy living. And also, from a healthy environment, the betterment of every industry will follow— tourism industry because of eco-tourism, agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries are just some,” Dacanay added.

More than the cleanup movement, the youth organizations also commended the growing number of volunteers for environment efforts.

Aside from cleanups, AMBag sa Kalikasan, MAPP, and LAMB worked hand-in-hand in distributing ecobags to market-goers and locals as an effort to ditch use of plastic bags.

Other series of distribution will also be conducted within the rest of the year.

At present, MAPP also sells bamboo straws in support to the local farmers and as added fund of the organization for future projects.

“We encourage everyone to get involved in the movement and start being conscious on how we use and dispose single-use plastics. We highly recommend the practices of a zero-waste lifestyle. Plastic pollution is not just an environmental crisis, but also a human welfare crisis. We hope we can all work together, local government and private sectors, in protecting Ilocos Norte,” Dacanay challenged.

The National Clean Up Day is annually organized every 3rd Saturday of September. (Ma. Joreina Therese A. Blanco/PIA-1, Ilocos Norte)

Ilocos Sentinel Newspaper is published weekly in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte since Year 2006. It is widely circulated in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR and the entire Philippines. The clan Guiangs behind this paper are the proud direct descendants of DON MARTIN GUIANG, founder of the town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte and first chief executive of Paoay town (1701-1704).

About Ilocos Sentinel

Ilocos Sentinel is a community-based weekly newspaper established on June 19, 2006 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, located nearly 500 kilometers away north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

This weekly newspaper is of general circulation in Laoag City, Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Pangasinan, Apayao, Cagayan Valley and many parts of the Philippines.